Dental Problems Treated by Oral Surgery

Your family, general, or pediatric dentist or orthodontist may refer you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for some dental treatments that require oral surgery. An oral surgeon is a specialist who has graduated from an accredited dental school and also completed additional education and residency related to surgical procedures needed to treat various oral diseases and conditions. An oral surgeon is trained in treating the following conditions:

• Removal of diseased or impacted teeth
• Placement of dental implants
• Treatment of facial trauma involving gums, jaws, nasal cavities, cheekbones, eye sockets, and forehead
• Evaluation of pathologic conditions such as cysts and tumors of the mouth and face or acute infections of the oral cavity, salivary glands, neck, and jaws
• Treatment of facial pain including those caused by temporomandibular (TMJ) problems
• Cosmetic or reconstructive surgery to correct jaw, facial bone, and facial soft tissue problems
• Corrective jaw surgery
• Cleft lip and cleft palate repair
• Surgical treatment for sleep apnea

There are many different techniques that oral surgeons use to accomplish your treatment goals. The choice of techniques may vary between surgeons and should be discussed between you and your surgeon prior to the procedure.

Many oral surgery procedures in our Toronto dental office can be completed in an outpatient setting. Often you are only in the office for a few hours and can return to your regular routine in a matter of days. A good oral surgeon will be able to perform these procedures with little chance of complications, and will be able to provide you with the information you need to understand the recovery process. Your oral surgeon will often collaborate with other specialists, such as an orthodontist or dentist, to achieve your ultimate treatment goals.

It’s Easy to Get an Instant Smile Makeover!

Are you embarrassed or ashamed of your smile? Do you hold your head down or cover your mouth when someone pulls out a camera? While you may think achieving a smile makeover will be a long and tedious process, you might be surprised to learn there are many quick and painless procedures available to improve your smile instantly. Your dental professional has a variety of treatments designed to transform the look of your smile in as little as one visit.

Professional teeth whitening in our Toronto dental office can transform a dingy yellow smile to bright and beautiful in no time. The most effective types of in-office whitening systems utilize a buffer in the gel that protects the tooth enamel from damage and can literally brighten your teeth up to 10 shades in about an hour.

Porcelain veneers are an option for concealing chipped, stained, cracked, or broken teeth. With veneers, extremely thin shells are shaped and bonded to the natural face of your teeth. This procedure can be completed in as little as two visits and will have a profound impact on the aesthetics of your smile.

Tooth colored fillings and bonding are also procedures that will help conceal and correct gaps, cracks, damage caused by tooth decay, or irreversible stains. Little preparation is needed for these treatments, and they can be completed in one office visit.

There is no longer a need to be dissatisfied with your teeth or smile. Consult your dentist to get more information about instant smile makeover solutions, and hold your head high and smile with confidence the next time someone asks you to say “Cheese!”

What is a No-Prep Dental Veneer?

Dental veneers are very thin wafers of porcelain or dental composite material that are bonded to the surface of your teeth to give them a uniform, attractive, natural appearance. They can cover such tooth issues as misaligned, short or crooked teeth, discolored, dingy or stained teeth, or smiles with missing teeth or gaps between teeth.

With a typical dental veneer, your dentist will prepare your natural tooth by removing a portion of your natural tooth. This allows the wafer of the veneer to sit on top of the natural tooth without appearing puffy, bulky, or unnatural. Because the tooth that is removed will never return, some patients are reluctant to pursue what is a permanent change to the natural tooth.

As a result, a new kind of veneer has been developed known as “no-prep” or minimal preparation veneer. These options do not typically require the dentist to file down and remove any (or as much) of your natural tooth to ensure proper placement and natural appearance. Patients receiving “no-prep” veneers often require little or no anesthesia for the procedure, allowing them to have a faster and more comfortable dental visit.

The level of natural tooth that is removed depends entirely on the condition and position of the specific teeth being treated. Typically, if the existing teeth are shaped and spaced well, modifications to the tooth surface are minimal and affect only the enamel layer. There is no alteration to the dentin (the layer beneath the enamel).

Your dentist must examine your teeth before determining whether you are a good candidate for no-prep veneers. Your teeth must be in good condition to begin, and any treatments such as fillings or root canal therapies must be completed prior to pursuing any kind of veneers.

Talk to your dentist in Toronto today to determine what steps you can take to achieve your smile goals. Your dentist will discuss your specific dental and cosmetic issues, and will help you determine what dentistry options are available to you.

Do You Think You May Need A Root Canal Treatment?

Your tooth pain may leave you worried about what treatment you need from your dentist. Do you have minor decay, or is something more serious going on? It’s possible that you may benefit from root canal therapy.

Root canal treatment at our Toronto dental office is performed on a seriously decayed or infected tooth to repair the natural tooth and save it. During root canal treatment, the tooth pulp and nerve are removed and the interior of the tooth is cleaned and carefully sealed to ensure proper healing and to prevent infection. Several signs are often present that can be clues that you need root canal treatment.

Do you:

• have swelling, pain or sensitivity when using a particular tooth?
• have moderate to severe pain that does not abate, while or immediately following the consumption of very hot or very cold liquids or foods?
• have tooth pain that radiates out from an individual tooth to other parts of your jaw, face or head?
• have a pimple-like bubble on your gum? Does it release foul-smelling and tasting pus or blood?
• have tooth pain that affects your life, disrupting your sleep and preventing you from moving through your daily routine without taking pain medicine?
• have a darker tooth that is distinct from your surrounding teeth, indicating a “dead” tooth?
• have a damaged, cracked tooth that has immediate signs of decay?

Your visit to the dentist could reveal a problem indicated by X-rays and can confirm the signs you have seen at home. Your dentist may tap on the affected tooth to evaluate its pain response, also known as percussion testing. The dentist may also utilize thermal testing, and apply hot or cold stimulus to ascertain sensitivity.

It is possible to have a tooth that needs a root canal procedure but that has no discernible symptoms to the patient. Regular check-ups and evaluations by your dentist can ensure that you are receiving the correct diagnosis and any necessary treatment you need to maintain your oral health for years to come.

Are You Considering Sedation Dentistry?

Neglecting your dental health can cause complications such as cavities, tooth loss, infection or gum inflammation, also known as gingivitis. Untreated gingivitis risks turning into periodontitis – acute gum disease. Poor oral health has been linked to an increased risk of stroke or heart attack. Too many times, patients will put off treatment due to anxiety or fear of the dentist. Sedation dentistry can be the solution, allowing a patient to undergo necessary procedures in a relaxed state.

Some patients experience fear that is based in their childhood experiences with a dentist. Even the sights, sounds and smells in a dentist’s office can trigger unwanted feelings of fear. Other patients are fearful of the possibility of experiencing pain or discomfort during the treatment. These kinds of apprehensions can lead to panic during a routine dental visit, feelings that worsen with the extensiveness of the necessary dental therapies.

Sedation dentistry offers many options to patients in these positions, allowing them the opportunities to receive the dental care they need free of the sensory issues that lead so many patients to postpone treatment. The longer and more involved the procedure is, the greater the patient will benefit from sedation dentistry at our Toronto dental office.

Conscious sedation can be administered through nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas.” Nitrous oxide leaves you comfortable and relaxed while remaining responsive. Conscious sedation can also incorporate oral sedatives, which can be administered up to an hour prior to the procedure to aid in relaxation and comfort before and during your dental treatment.

Your visit to your dentist should be stress and anxiety-free. Maintaining your dental health no longer has to be a struggle with your emotions. Talk to your dentist today to learn the ways sedation dentistry can benefit you.